Apprenticeships

Baroness Smith of Basildon: To ask Her Majesty's Government (1) what was the average length of an apprenticeship, and (2) what proportion of apprenticeships were completed, in (a) the South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency, (b) the Basildon local authority area, and (c) nationally, in each of the last 10 years.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government how many apprenticeships have been created in (1) South Basildon and East Thurrock parliamentary constituency, (2) Basildon, and (3) England, for people aged (a) 16 to 24, (b) 25 to 49, and (c) 50 or above, in each of the last five years.

Baroness Garden of Frognal: Table 1 shows the adjusted average length of an apprenticeship framework in South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency, Essex local education authority and England. Final data are shown for the 2009-10 and 2010-11 academic years and provisional data are shown for the 2011-12 academic year. Data prior to 2009-10 on the adjusted basis are not available. 2011-12 is the latest year for which data are available.
	Care should be taken when interpreting apprenticeship durations as they are dependent on the mix of apprenticeship levels and frameworks, and the prior attainment of learners (some will already have completed parts of the apprenticeship). The adjusted measure is intended to exclude those apprentices with some prior attainment.
	Table 2 shows apprenticeship success rates for South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency, Essex local education authority and England, 2004-05 to 2010-11. 2004-05 is the earliest year and 2010-11 is the latest year for which comparable success rates are available.
	Table 3 shows apprenticeship programme starts in South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency, Essex local education authority and England by age. Final data are shown for the 2007-08 to 2010-11 academic years and provisional data are shown for the 2011-12 academic year.
	We publish apprenticeship data at the region, local education authority and parliamentary constituency levels of geography. Therefore data for Basildon Borough Council are not presented.
	
		
			 Table 1: Apprenticeship Adjusted Average Length of Stay (Months) by Geography, 2009/10 to 2011/12 (Provisional) 
			  2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 (Provisional) 
			 South Basildon and East Thurrock Constituency 15 13 14 
			 Essex Local Education Authority 15 13 13 
			 England 15 13 12 
		
	
	Source: Individualised Learner Record
	Notes
	1. Provisional data for 2011-12 should not be directly compared with data for earlier years.
	2. (Adjusted) Average Length of Stay is based on the actual end date of the apprenticeship as recorded in the ILR; it only includes those achievements within the academic year that were fully funded.
	3. Geography is based upon the home postcode of the learner.
	4. Figures are based on the geographic boundaries of regions as of May 2010.
	
		
			 Table 2: Apprenticeship Success Rates by Geography, 2004/05 to 2010/11 
			  2004/05 2005/06 2006/07 2007/08 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 
			 South Basildon and East Thurrock Constituency 29.4% 42.7% 58.2% 60.2% 73.7% 78.2% 75.4% 
			 Essex Local Education Authority 38.2% 46.0% 56.7% 60.9% 70.4% 75.3% 76.5% 
			 England 36.7% 48.6% 59.0% 63.9% 70.9% 73.8% 76.4% 
		
	
	Source: Individualised Learner Record
	Notes
	1. Geography is based upon the home postcode of the learner.
	2. Figures are based on the geographic boundaries of regions as of May 2010.
	3. The South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency was formed from the division of the old Basildon constituency prior to the 2010 General Election.
	4. Success rates are based on the individual aims that were expected to end in the academic year. They are calculated as the number of learning aims achieved divided by the number started, excluding the aims of any learners that transferred onto another qualification within the same institution.
	
		
			 Table 3: Apprenticeship Programme Starts by Geography and Age, 2007/08 to 2011/12 (Provisional) 
			  Age 2007/08 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 (Provisional) 
			 South Basildon and East Thurrock Constituency 16-24 370 320 490 510 570 
			 25-49 30 80 60 220 270 
			 50+ - 10 10 40 30 
			 All Age 400 420 560 770 870 
			 Essex Local Education Authority 16-24 4,450 4,040 5,600 7,250 7,310 
			 25-49 500 1,010 720 3,010 3,520 
			 50+ 70 140 90 670 770 
			 All Age 5,020 5,190 6,410 10,930 11,590 
			 England 16-24 197,610 184,080 230,540 275,130 282,680 
			 25-49 24,550 50,490 44,280 152,600 186,660 
			 50+ 2,610 5,380 4,860 29,480 33,210 
			 All Age 224,800 239,900 279,700 457,200 502,500 
		
	
	Source: Individualised Learner Record
	Notes
	1. All figures are rounded to the nearest 10 except for England All Age Totals which are rounded to the nearest 100.
	2. "-" indicates a base value of less than 5.
	3. Age is based on age at the start of the programme. A small number of learners aged under 16 are included in the 16-24 age category.
	4. Geographic breakdowns are based upon the home postcode of the learner.
	5. Figures are based on the geographic boundaries as of May 2010.
	6. Provisional data for 2011/12 should not be directly compared with data for earlier years.
	7. The South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency was formed from the division of the old Basildon constituency prior to the 2010 General Election.

Railways: Fares

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to reduce the impact of rising rail fares for commuters.

Earl Attlee: The Department for Transport secured the funding to keep the increase in the cap on average regulated fares to RPI+1% for 2012, 2013 and 2014. We have committed, once savings are found and the improvement in the wider economic situation permits, to reducing and then abolishing above-inflation rises in average regulated fares.
	Our Command Paper "Reforming Our Railways: Putting the Customer First" published in March 2012 sets out how we propose to reduce the cost of running the railway by £3.5 billion per annum by 2019.

Railways: Heathrow Express

Viscount Astor: To ask Her Majesty's Government how long they expect the Heathrow Express to operate.

Earl Attlee: Heathrow Express is an open access operator and is not operated under a franchise agreement with the Department for Transport. Decisions as to the future of this train service are therefore not a matter for the Government to make.

Railways: High Speed 1

Viscount Astor: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the top speed achieved by trains on HS1; and what is the average speed between St Pancras and the Channel Tunnel.

Earl Attlee: On High Speed 1, the maximum operational speed permitted for international services (currently provided by Eurostar) is 300 kmph (186 mph). The maximum operational speed permitted for domestic services (currently provided by Southeastern High Speed Services) is 225 kmph (140 mph).
	It should be noted that these are maximum speeds and as such will not be achieved across the entire length of the network, for example while approaching stations, within tunnels or other specific areas along the route of High Speed 1 when maximum line speed is reduced.
	The average time taken by Eurostar between the Channel Tunnel boundary and St Pancras International is 31 minutes for a non-stopping service. The HS1 railway connects St Pancras International station in London to the Channel Tunnel in Kent and is 109 km in length. This provides an average speed of 211 kmph (131 mph) for direct, non-stopping services.

Railways: West Coast Franchise

Lord Fearn: To ask Her Majesty's Government when the West Coast Main Line Franchise will be readvertised for tender.

Earl Attlee: The current contract term with Virgin Trains is for a period up to 9 November 2014, although the Secretary of State for Transport will be able to shorten this period by up to six months if the Department for Transport is able to let a longer-term franchise to a shorter timescale.
	The recommendations of the Brown and Laidlaw reviews will receive full consideration, and the Government will make an announcement outlining the new franchising timetable in the spring.

Transport: Expenditure

Baroness Smith of Basildon: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their most recent estimate of the average spending per head of population on transport in the Basildon local authority area; and what was the average spending (1) in the English regions, and (2) nationally.

Earl Attlee: The most recent data available for total public expenditure on transport is given in HM Treasury's Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses for 2011-12. Basildon is within the East of England region and the identifiable expenditure on transport services there is £278 per head. Data for other English regions, and countries within the United Kingdom, are available from HM Treasury's Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses for 2011-12, which is published at the following link: http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/9802.htm.
	Data tables are here: http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/d/nat_stats_a_and_b_rounded_tables.xls (see table A.15).
	Equivalent data are not available below regional level.